Wednesday, September 30, 2015

This
week at Nevermore, our readers explored some new books—new to our book club,
that is—and even discovered some new favorites with The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Descent by Tim Johnston, and Forsyte
Saga by John Galsworthy.

Our
readers first dived into an audiobook copy of U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton.Twenty years after the disappearance of a four-year-old girl, Kinsey
Millhone is asked to investigate the case by Michael Sutton.Sutton, a college dropout at twenty-seven,
may possibly be the only witness in a mystery that’s remained notoriously
unsolved for two decades—and Kinsey must help him dredge up a memory she’s not
even sure existed in the first place.Bouncing back and forth in time, following both the original witness of
the case and Kinsey Millhone as she seeks to fit together pieces of the puzzle,
U is for Undertow is a
psychologically intricate thriller that received high praise from our Nevermore
reader.She said it was “absolutely incredible—I
love this kind of stuff!”

Next,
our readers explored a second novel by Justin Halpern called I Suck at Girls.Like Sh*t
My Dad Says, I Suck at Girls is
an uproariously funny narrative.Chronicling his misadventures with the opposite sex—from first dates to
engagement parties, from high school to college and beyond—I Suck at Girls is a poignant memoir about the best and worst of
love.Our Nevermore reader absolutely
loved Halpern’s latest book.Both
light-hearted and funny, I Suck at Girls
was a comedic adventure of the very best kind—and, having listened to the
audiobook, she thought it was hilarious how the author managed to give a
different voice for every character.

One
of our readers also picked Ghosts of
Tsavo:Stalking the Mystery Lions of
East Africa by Philip Caputo.Set in
Tsavo River Kenya in 1898, Ghosts of
Tsavo explores the construction of the Uganda Railway through east
Africa—and the lions that brought construction to a grinding halt after killing
140 people.According to our reader,
Caputo’s book has the opportunity to spark an intriguing discussion—especially
after the debacle with Theo Bronkhorst, a big game hunter, and Cecil the
lion—but our reader found she just couldn’t become enthusiastic about
man-eating lions.She managed to read
135 pages, but she just “couldn’t go any farther.”

Our
readers also visited The Nightingale by
Kristin Hannah, which follows the intersecting lives of sisters Vianne and
Isabelle.Vianne, who must cope with her
husband’s departure for World War II, and Isabelle, a rebellious young woman
who falls in love—and, subsequently, joins the Resistance—are “separated by
years and experience, by ideals, passion, and circumstance, [but] each
embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom…”For our Nevermore reader, The Nightingale was an incredible
novel.Although she was initially
hesitant to begin Hannah’s novel, having read so many books based in the midst
of World War II, our reader was quickly hooked and begrudged having to do
anything other than read.

The Forsyte Saga
by John Galsworthy also made an appearance at our Nevermore meeting.Published in a series of three novels from
1906 to 1921, The Fosyte Saga
received recognition in 1932 when Galsworthy earned a Nobel Prize in literature
“for his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest for in [his
novel].”For the most part, Galsworthy’s
novel centers on Soames Forsyte—a successful solicitor who lives in London, and
a pillar of excellence in his Victorian community—and his wife, Irene.But beneath the happy façade of their
marriage, the Forsytes’ relationship is crumbling into a bitter feud within the
family.According to our Nevermore
reader, The Forsyte Saga was
excellent.Although she said it takes
some patience to read through the entire series, she said it’s a beautifully
written novel that’s well worth reading.

Last, our readers
discussed Descent by Tim
Johnston.Chronicling the disappearance
of Caitlin Courtland and her family’s desperate search for answers, Descent is an emotional rollercoaster
ride that tears the Courtlands’ apart before finally bringing them together
again.Two of our Nevermore members have
had the chance to read Johnston’s novel, and they have both given positive
reviews:one reader said he was left
speechless by this book, saying it was “very good, extremely good,” while another asserted it was by far the best book
she’s read this year

Monday, September 28, 2015

Charity is on a trip to Provence with her friend Louise,
trying to distract herself. Her RAF pilot husband Johnny was shot down in
the War and Charity is still coming to terms with the loss. She’s a strong
woman who isn’t wallowing in grief but who is getting on with her life as best
she can. Louise wants to read and paint,
while Charity wants to visit the local historical sites:Roman ruins, old castles, and such.

At the hotel she meets David, a charming little British boy
who is there with his stepmother. She soon realizes there is something a bit
wrong with this set-up: David seems troubled. She begins to hear
stories that his father is a murderer who may be stalking the boy.
Recklessly, Charity decides she is going to protect David at all costs and is
plunged into a breathtaking game of cat and mouse.

Recently, several members of the DorothyL mystery group discussed Mary Stewart and what a strong impression she had made on
so many of them growing up, with her exotic locales and strong heroines. I was embarrassed
to realize that while I had read and thoroughly enjoyed her Merlin/Arthur books
(Crystal Cave, Hollow Hills, Last
Enchantment, etc.) I had not read any in the genre for which she was best
known, romantic suspense. I decided to rectify that at once.

Madam, Will You Talk? was
Stewart’s first novel, and was an instant hit when it was published in
1954.She went on to write several more
novels, including The Moon-Spinners
which was turned into a Disney movie.The
writing is lovely and graceful, even when the situation is dire.Charity is a wonderful character, a smart,
mature woman who isn’t afraid to step up when the situation calls for
action.She loves history and poetry—she
and Louise were once taught together—so she’s able to beautifully convey the
setting. That is a real strength to this book and apparently her others as
well: the ability to vividly describe a location without dragging the plot
down.She also peppers the story with quotations
and literary allusions but again is able to do so while advancing the
story.

I also enjoyed the unadulterated 1950s flavor.Contemporary writers who set a story in that
time period can’t help but bring a twenty-first century view to it.They try to unobtrusively explain attitudes
and items on the assumption that modern audiences won’t have a clue—or in some
cases, to show off how much research they’ve done (my sneaking suspicion). Since the book was actually written in the
1950s, Stewart is under no such compunction.In a modern retelling, the Riley that Charity drives so nimbly and
expertly would be explained as a particular brand of British Motorcar from a
company that began life as the Bonnick Cycle Company in the late 1800s.Did I need to know that? Nope, I just
accepted that it was a car and moved on.Nor did the author have to omit or make excuses for people smoking
constantly and imbibing.(I’m reminded
of a story about the TV series Mad Men
which drew comment for the amount of smoking and drinking that went on.When someone connected with the show spoke
with a retired ad man who had worked in that era, the ad man said it was all
fairly accurate except that there was even more drinking and smoking.) The plot
twists and turns as Charity tries to figure out who to trust and, more
importantly, who NOT to trust.There are
exciting car chases through the villages and countryside, around winding streets
and into back alleys. I’m not usually one for car chases but these manage to be
both tense and interesting. The thing I liked least about the book? The title. It sounds so formal, not reflective of the lively story. How's that for a minor quibble?

For me, the book certainly passes the test of time and I
look forward to reading more by Mary Stewart.

Friday, September 25, 2015

The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall
recounts the story of Helem Graham, a widowed young artist who has arrived at
Wildfell Hall with her young son in tow.Unknown to the nearby village, she’s reclusive and mysterious and
scandalously aloof and, soon, everyone—including Gilbert Markham, a local
farmer who finds himself entranced by the lovely newcomer—clamors to know who
she is, where she comes from, and why she ever decided to choose Wildfell
Hall.Narrated by both Gilbert and
Helen, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
uncovers the extent to which violence, abuse, excess, and tyranny were
tolerated within marriage and polite society—and the extreme measures which one
woman will take in protecting her child and declaring her own independence.

Anne Brontë created a
true classic in The Tenant of Wildfell
Hall.Besides investigating a topic
rarely discussed in polite Victorian society—and causing quite a stir in the
process—Brontë crafts an amazing and compelling narrative that captured my
attention immediately.Between the
intimate glimpses into Helen’s diary, as she recounts her most shocking and
tragic experiences, and Gilbert’s candid confessions, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall presents a brutally honest picture of
life within a loveless marriage and one woman’s shocking bid for independence.

Originally published
under the pseudonym of Acton Bell, The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a sensational success for Anne Brontë and,
unsurprisingly, it also became a literary scandal.Even Charlotte, who penned Jane Eyre, believed it was too shocking
for publication and, after Anne’s death in 1849, prevented its republication.As Charlotte wrote in the preface to the 1850
edition of Wuthering Heights, she
believed Anne made a poor decision in choosing the subject of her novels,
having a “naturally sensitive, reserved and dejected nature; what she saw sank
very deeply into her mind:it did her
harm.She brooded over it till she
believed it to be a duty to reproduce every detail…as a warning to others.”

Although Anne was
greatly criticized for her novel, I believe The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall is one of my favorite Brontë novels (with Jane Eyre being the other).I absolutely love the characters:their emotions are raw, their thoughts are
intimately depicted to their reader, their actions are occasionally impulsive
(they’re human, they make mistakes), and their reasoning is sometimes flawed,
but I think I enjoyed their stories for much that reason.Both Gilbert and Helen exist as imperfect
individuals, which makes them human and all the more precious for it.

But, if I’m being
honest, I loved Helen best.Gilbert
plays a crucial role in the novel and he has merits of his own as a kind,
honorable gentleman, especially when compared to some of the other, less savory
individuals depicted; however, he generally pales in comparison to the honesty
and emotional fortitude of Helen.Although he claims full and unfaltering loyalty to Helen, Gilbert
frequently succumbs to the pressures of society.He’s very much shaped by gossip and social
expectations—and, yes, his mother—and, as such, he often seems to fall into the
disappointing habit of embracing gender stereotypes and double standards.

Helen, on the other
hand, recognizes her faults and she’s honest about them.Moreover, she doesn’t shy away from even the
most disturbing and unsavory events within her life.Emotional abuse, alcoholism, illicit sexual
affairs, cruelty and violence, and much more appear within the pages of Helen’s
diary, as she reveals her history to Gilbert, but she tells him every last
secret, every last heart-wrenching detail—and I find that makes her one of the
most appealing and, perhaps, the bravest character I’ve ever encountered.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

This week in Nevermore, our readers explored many
interesting books, drifting from journeys on the Oregon Trail with the Donner
Party to some excellent fiction by Karin Fossum and Sarah Addison Allen.Our readers even visited Russell County with Come Saturday by Doris Music and Lisbon,
Portugal, with Skylight by José
Saramago.

The adventures started with Lisa Unger’s Black Out.Annie Powers is happy:she has a wonderful house in an idyllic
Florida suburb, she has a husband who loves her and a daughter she loves
unconditionally—and life seems wonderful.Until her past comes back to haunt her.Besieged by memories she had buried and haunted by a name that she
abandoned, Annie must put together the pieces of her past to save herself and
her daughter.Our reader said that
Unger’s novel was “unbelievable,” an exceptional novel that she couldn’t put
aside.

Our reader also volunteered Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen, which weaves together the stories
of Eby Pim, Kate and Devin Pheris, and others who congregate at Lost Lake,
“looking for something that they weren’t sure they needed in the first
place:love, closure, a second chance,
peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended.”It involves mother and daughter relationships, as well as the redeeming
qualities of love, which our reader said she really enjoyed.

Another reader had an interesting selection of
reading material:Across the Plains in the Donner Party by Virginia Reed Murphy and Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern.As expected, Across the Plains follows the tragic expedition of the Donner-Reed
Party.After setting out for California,
the Donner-Reed Party became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and spent
the entire winter of 1846-1847 trapped without adequate supplies.Starved and desperate, members resorted to
cannibalism to survive—only 48 of the original 87 members survived.Our reader said she was “in awe of the people
who survived,” and she was amazed at the ability of pioneer travelers to
actually meet on the trail and reconnect with other people.

In Sh*t My Dad
Says, Justin Halpern has been dumped by his longtime girlfriend and forced
to return home with his seventy-three-year-old father.Sam Halpern, who Halpern describes as being
“like Socrates, but angrier, and with worse hair,” is a man without a
filter.He isn’t afraid to say what’s on
his mind—and, luckily, Halpern had the foresight to record the best of his
father’s wisdom.Sh*t My Dad Says is uproariously funny, according to our reader,
and it was an absolute joy to read.It
comes highly recommended from our Nevermore group this week.

Our Souls at
Night by Kent Haruf followed
next, unfolding a brand new story in Holt, Colorado.Addie Moore and her neighbor, Louise Waters,
have lived alone for many years, now in reconnecting as neighbors—as
friends—they brave new adventures in their small town.According to our Nevermore reader, it rings
true of real life.“You kind of get
sucked in [to their lives],” he said.“You think it goes one way, but it doesn’t.”Our
Souls at Night explores the depth and breadth of human relationships,
chronicling senior realities with a gentle comforting that’s enjoyable.Our reader definitely recommended reading
Haruf’s novel.

Likewise, he was impressed by Karen Fossum’s Indian Bride.Fourth in the Inspector Konrad Sejer
mysteries, Indian Bride starts with a
marriage—Gunder Jomann, a renowned bachelor in his hometown of Elvestad, visits
India for two weeks and returns with a wife—and a murder.On the day Jomann’s new wife is set to
arrive, a woman is found on the outskirts of town and Inspector Sejer must
uncover the culprit among the seeming good people of Elvestad.One reader said, “It was quite good, I
thought,” and he was satisfied with how Fossum wrapped things up; however, another
reader in our Nevermore group didn’t hold the same opinion.She felt that Fossum left her dangling with a
dissatisfying cliffhanger.

One of our readers also tried to read Villages by John Updike.Chronicling the life of Owen MacKenzie from
his birth in rural Pennsylvania to his retirement in Haskells Crossing,
Massachusetts, Villages is a story
about one man’s lifelong education and his relationships.Unfortunately, for our reader, John Updike’s
novel was a grave disappointment.As she
reported, it was “awful, absolutely awful.”

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, likewise, didn’t fare so well for
another reader.Sharp Objects chronicles reporter Camille Preaker’s toughest
assignment—her return to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls—and
her renewed (and rocky) relationship with her estranged family.For our Nevermore reader, Flynn’s novel was a
study in several generations of very damaged, very disillusioned individuals,
which intrigued her, but she thought Flynn seemed to put an emphasis on shock
value rather than content.

By comparison, José Saramago’s Skylight performed well.Skylight is series of intertwined
stories—Silvestre and Mariana, an elderly couple who have been happily married
for a number of years; Abel, a young nomad who has recently found a home;
Adriana, a young woman who loves Beethoven; Carmen and Emilio, an unhappy couple
who long to lead separate lives; Lidia, a former prostitute turned
mistress—that overlap to weave a tapestry of life and relationships in one
apartment in Lisbon, Portugal.Our
reader said Saramago’s writing reminded her of Alexander McCall Smith, but the
story made her think of Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett.Although Skylight seemed to end with a
cliffhanger, our reader was glad that she “got to live in Portugal for a little
while.”

Last, another of our readers picked up Come Saturday by Doris Musick.Set in the rural mountains of Russell County
during the Great Depression, Come
Saturday details the extraordinary events of one Saturday morning at the
local mill—and how it changed the county.Our reader said it was really interesting to slip into the lives of
these people, to learn something new about Russell County.While our reader did say it was an
interesting book, she said it would probably be even more fascinating for
readers with ties to the area.

Followers

About Me

The BPL Bookblog reviewers include:
Ambrea, who reads widely and who brings a fresh perspective to any review;
Christy H. who often likes a walk on the spooky side;
Kristin, the Eclectic Bibliophile who can help you find the perfect book;
and Jeanne. When we figure out what she does, we'll let you know.
BBL stands for "Bookblog of the Bristol Library." It also stands for "Be Back Later"-- as in, "Be back later, we're reading."